Section Members Brent Snyder and Eric Rolland only 36 Holes Away from 2015 U.S. Open Spot

Brent Snyder and Eric Rolland, both Section Members, stand 36 holes away from a bid into the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, WA. Snyder was first to advance past local qualifying by shooting a -2 (70) at Edina Country Club on May 11th, and Rolland shot a -1 (71) at The Links at Northfolk in Ramsey, MN on May 21st to secure a spot in sectional qualifying. Both scores were good enough for second place finishes at their respective qualifiers.

Brent Snyder Eric Rolland

Although the stage continues to grow leading up to the U.S. Open, both remain optimistic and confident without giving into the pressure. “Do not give into the hype and pressures. At the end of the day, it is just golf” Snyder said. Rolland also pointed out that there is no real pressure, “You know you have to play unbelievable to advance, so you do not really think about it instead you just play.” This type of attitude will allow the golfers to relax and enjoy the moment, something to be preached at every level of golf.

There are ten sectional qualifiers across the United States, one in Japan, and another in England. Snyder will be playing the Northwood Club in Dallas, TX while Rolland will be at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, FL. They both expressed confidence playing away from home noting that this is not their first time playing in the South. “Having played in the South many times prior has built a sense of confidence and familiarity, the weather is great and traveling with family makes it easy” said Snyder.

Although these two players remain calm and relaxed throughout the process, they both understand what is at stake. They both have a great confidence about themselves, “Minnesota has a lot of competition, qualifying shows that you earned it and builds confidence moving forward” Rolland mentioned. Winning a local qualifier can be huge for a player’s confidence which was evident when talking to both of them.

Both sectional qualifiers are on June 8th as well as the other eight being played across the country. Eric Rolland tees off at The Bear’s Club at 7:55am for Round 1 and 1:10pm for Round 2, and Brent Snyder begins at 7:50am at the Northwood Club. Other notable Minnesota players moving on and their sectional qualifier locations are Trent Peterson (Northwood Club), Clayton Rask (Hawks Ridge GC—Ball Ground, GA), and Grady Meyer (Hawks Ridge GC). Julian Ramirez of Riverwood National GC qualified as a first alternate for the sectional qualifier.

The Minnesota Section PGA consists of PGA Professionals who are experts in the game and business of golf. Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and involvement of the game of golf and to contribute to its growth by providing services to golf professionals, the golf industry, people who play golf or would like to start playing golf.PGA Section Offices oversee the 41 geographic regions throughout the United States and provide the grass-roots network for the nation’s 25 million amateur golfers and with the PGA’s 27,000 members.